Sparks fly in Lansdale courtroom as hearing in domestic assault case is continued

LANSDALE — The preliminary hearing for a Lansdale man accused of a domestic assault was continued Tuesday afternoon after the alleged victim failed to show up in court and the judge refused to lower the defendant’s bail, prompting an angry outburst from the man’s public defender.

Charles Nathaniel Robinson, 28, of the 100 block of Susquehanna Avenue, arrived in handcuffs at District Judge Harold Borek’s Lansdale court and then met with his county appointed attorney, who subsequently appeared to have struck a deal with the prosecuting Lansdale police officer in which Robinson would waive the four criminal charges filed against him — simple assault, obstructing the administration of law and resisting arrest, all misdemeanors, as well as summary harassment — in exchange for a significant reduction of his bail, which had been set at 10 percent of $25,000 at Robinson’s June 27 preliminary arraignment before District Judge John S. Murray.

Robinson is accused of getting into a physical altercation with the victim inside their home on the afternoon of June 26 and taking her cellphone, ATM card and cash, then chasing the woman and their 3-year-old daughter from their residence to the lobby of Lansdale police headquarters, then again assaulting the woman less than an hour later, after they returned home from the police station, and refusing to let responding police officers inside their apartment.

Despite the apparent waiver deal, things quickly took a rancorous turn once all parties were inside the courtroom.

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After Robinson’s attorney informed Borek of the waiver and began to address the subject of bail modification and non-monetary conditions, Borek stopped him short and told him he was not going to change bail set by another judge.

“I haven’t heard one word about a change of circumstances (between Robinson and the alleged victim) that would warrant a reduction in bail,” Borek said.

“We had an agreement!” the attorney shouted at the judge as he rose from his seat and gestured toward the prosecutor’s table.

“Fine, let’s have a hearing, then,” the attorney muttered, sitting back down.

However, because the alleged victim in the case — who had been sent a subpoena to appear Tuesday — was a no-show for the hearing, Borek asked the prosecuting officer whether he wanted to file a contempt of court charge against the victim, and when the officer said that he did, Borek then ordered Robinson’s hearing continued pending a contempt hearing for the victim.

“So now (Robinson) has to go back and sit (in jail)?” the public defender shouted again in protest, as Robinson sat quietly next to him.

“It’s called habeas corpus,” Borek retorted — alluding to the attorney’s right to file a writ with a county judge to challenge the terms of Robinson’s incarceration — while the judge added that he had “good cause” to continue the hearing.

“May I be excused?” the lawyer said, disgustedly, as he gathered up his papers and stormed out of the courtroom, leaving the Lansdale police officer to escort Robinson out of the room and transport him back to Montgomery County Correctional Facility.

After the proceedings, court personnel said that a notice of the contempt charge would be hand delivered by police to the victim, who is due to appear before Borek for the contempt hearing on July 24 — the same day to which Robinson’s preliminary hearing was rescheduled.